but president obama has been re-elected here in the u.s. i know he feels deeply about this issue. he regards peace between israelis and palestinians as a genuine strategic interest of the united states. and we're going to have i think a fresh opportunity to go back to this issue to try and grip it and frame it in the right way and we've got to try. i always say to people, we spent decades trying and failing in northern ireland and finally we got a process that worked. there isn't an alternative except to come back and try again. and that's what we've got to do. by the way, as the region is in turmoil, although in one sense it becomes harder for the parties to see their way through, it's more important that the israeli-palestinian issue is put in a place where there's hope and progress. because it could, especially with the other changes in the region, get mixed up in the politics of the region in a way that puts us even further back. >> i know you're watching what's going on with these so-called fiscal cliff negotiations here in the united states. as concerned as we are here in th